The Longest Winter
by KikiauskeUchiha
Summary: Toni has lived a troubled life. She regrets many parts of her past, and stubbornly lets the Straw Hat crew take her in as one of their own. Will the scars of her past heal, or will her past come back to haunt her and her new friends? Female Human Chopper AU. Pairings tbd. Rated T for now for language, but if I do include the parts I was thinking of, it might become M.


Hey everyone! so this is my first fic I've written in a while, and I really hope you like it. It's a Chopperina AU, but since it is a genderbend, I think it would do best under the name Chopper. You will see eventually. Though it seems super canon right now, with them meeting as they do, but I promise, it's supposed to get more angsty and creative over time!

Xoxo, Kiki

* * *

It had been almost 3 days since Toni had last slept. She was on constant panic, with the Isshi 20 lurking the halls, and the fact that last time she rested her head for a moment, there was one of their nurses, trying to poison the person she held most dear.

No. She refused to let anybody but the one nurse who wasn't serving them, the one who put up with all of her bratty antics to even enter the room, and even then, the nurse was not allowed to bring anything opened.

Toni had to read every bottle that was brought in, everything had to have a label, hospital food was refused. It was a good thing the hospital used bottles for single doses, and often enough they weren't tampered with. The only doctor she allowed was an old friend of Doctorine's, and he was regarded cautiously. Luckily, he was calm and patient, he spoke as he worked, telling Toni everything, using medical terms to properly define Doctorine's condition and even handed her a list of what he allowed. Everything else she rejected vehemently.

Few argued against her. She heard their whispers when they thought she wasn't listening. She was a freak, with one royal blue eye and one bright hazel eye, years of medical knowledge stored in her brain; she could outsmart some of the brightest minds if given the chance. There was a fire that burned in her gaze, one that ensured every threat she made would be fulfilled if they didn't back down from her Doctorine. Her tawny brown hair was unruly and wild, and the petite girl had a surprising strength that seemed to sprout out of her. Dalton had seen her throw out plenty of people with a shake of his head.

Today for her seemed to stretch out into the infinite, and she often zoned out while keeping watch of the door like a guard dog. She was often brought back to focus by the regular sounds of hospitals, the call desk ringing with requests from patients, the squeaking wheels of mobile monitors and wheelchairs and medicine carts and just about everything else that filled the hallways. The calm sounds of doctors, the padding of a nurses feet as she did rounds, and somewhere in the hospital, Toni swore she heard the obnoxious laughter of someone she never wished to see again.

Memories began to fill her mind, but she shoved them away in time to hear a knock on the door. "Potassium Chloride." She said calmly. "Bicarbonate" was a gentle voice from the door. "Enter." In came the nurse who had been working overtime for Doctorine's sake. A kind girl named Monet. The woman had an interesting look that would freeze a man where he stood and melt his insides with her cold words. But she had been patient enough to deal with Toni's stubborn antics, and so she was one of the few welcomed. Monet checked over Doctorine's vitals, jotted notes, and snuck the teen a sandwich she bought from the eatery next door. It was stapled shut with the receipt, one of her crazy requests. With a smile and the general words of greetings and goodbyes, Monet was out and probably going to rest in the break room.

Or so she thought when a rather boisterous group banged down the hall. "Oi! Nurse-chan! Where's Nami?" a rather high male voice asked with too much enthusiasm. "Next door, now please lower your voices, others are resting." She replied coolly. _That's right,_ Toni thought with a grimace. She couldn't afford a private room, but their room had been unsurprisingly empty until last night. Toni almost had a fit when they brought the orange haired woman in, but decided to take it upon herself to protect her from the Isshi 20 too. Dalton explained that the girl was suffering from a bacterial infection that she had let spread, and the girl would heal and be out within a few days. Monet was also kind enough to treat her with the similar process she did for Doctorine, the antibiotics were on the dresser next to the girl's bed, as were the cleaning solvents and wrap.

The door barged open and a strange boy with black hair and grey eyes bounded in, with two other men walking behind him. Both seemed threatening, but the blonde one seemed less of a threat when he saw the girl in bed. "Nami-swan! You'll heal wonderfully and then I can go back to basking in your beauty~" he cooed softly. The other man had Toni on high alert. His hair was a strange mossish-green, and he held the amber eyes of a predator. Toni stayed in her chair though, assuring herself they were just here to see the girl…Nami, as she was called. The strange one didn't look at Nami at all, instead his eyes were focused on Toni and they were NOT friendly.

Zoro had been worried like the rest of the crew, though he did not show it. With Nami sick, Luffy was upset. He didn't show it now because he thought Nami could hear him, but he had sulked for the entire night, he didn't sleep, nor did he eat, which was a sign he was not okay. Sanji had taken to making Nami's favorite dishes, singing to himself to try to keep merry. Usopp spent more time out of his shop for once, to try to make us all laugh with his outrageous tales.

Something was amiss the moment Zoro entered the hospital. He had his hand on Wado Ichimoji as soon as they entered the front doors. People seemed a lot more sick than usual when he went to other hospitals, and he heard rumor that those who entered would not leave feeling better if they didn't have the funds. He knew for a fact that Nami would be too damn stubborn to do that. She seemed better than most people in the hospital though, and he attributed it to the strange child who glared holes through him as Sanji and Luffy focused on Nami.

"Oi, what's with the kid?" he asked gruffly. His voice reminded Toni of an anthropomorphized tiger, with a low baritone voice that held all the smooth death like the feline was known for. "I'm not a kid, and I would appreciate it if you kept your visitor level to a minimum. I won't let anyone get too close. Understand?" she said tartly, knowing the tiger-man would either challenge her or leave her be. Zoro would never be one to pick the second choice however.

"And if I do shorty?" he returned with a chuckle. He liked the challenge the little girl held, and he respected that. "I'll throw you out of this room so hard you'll be a patient here for head trauma," she said with certainty.

"Hey marimo, don't you go starting trouble cause some kid's got a shitty attitude." "I'm not a kid!" Toni cried out, her frustration bubbling. "And I wouldn't have an attitude if your shitty moss-headed friend hadn't challenged me in the first place! I won't let anyone get close to Doctorine and I'll be damned if I let you shitheads do so because your friend is sick!"

So the girl was merely protecting her nakama. Zoro relaxed his shoulders and chuckled. "Aright shorty, your friend won't be bothered by us, but don't get into the habit of bossing us around." Zoro said bluntly. Another round of chuckles came from Luffy as he peeked his head out from behind the curtains. "I like you kiddo, you have deter…what was that word again Sanji?" "Determination." The blonde answered calmly. "Right, that! Let's become friends sometime ok?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Like hell she would let these strangers get close to her. "No." she spat, and resumed to glaring at all of them. They seemed honest enough, but she refused to let anyone slip her defenses and hurt Doctorine. Nobody. Doctorine was all she had left in this world, and she feared would have nobody and little inheritance to live off of. But being alone she decided would be fine. Nobody to worry and fuss about, nobody to die in front of you again. She considered herself cursed for the bad luck she had all these years, and wished to never let anyone bask in it. "Awh, come on, you seem like a fun person!" he half-whined. The other half she sensed determination, and it made her hair stand more.

"Now, now Luffy, you don't want to disturb Nami-chan with your antics right?" the man named Sanji asked in a suave manner. His voice was like the smoke that permeated off of him. Smooth, clear, yet held its own husky tenor that would be likely to belong to many women's dream man. The man named Luffy settled down, but the grin still didn't wipe off his face. "Say, if she's protecting her nakama, we should leave someone here to protect Nami too!" he said cheerily. "Zoro, you're fine with that right?"

"WHAT?" the two asked in unison, then Zoro laughed heartily. If it meant pissing off the kid, he would certainly be entertained. The kid looked as if she wanted to kill someone. Probably would try too. She was defensive like a beaten dog hanging on to its last shred of happiness. "Fine by me Luffy. Owe my booze now by the way." "Shi-shi-shi you got it" "I'll bring some breakfast for the young miss too. Nami should be awake by then so why not?" Sanji said casually.

Toni was…confused? No, she was a mixture of intrigued and furious. There was no way she was okay with letting the three of them flit in and out at will! That just spelled trouble! But she couldn't really tell them to buzz off, Zoro had made that clear. Besides, who was she to keep them from seeing their friend? They used a weird word, nakama, and it sounded much more precious than friend. Something she wouldn't admit she wanted anyways. But Sanji and Luffy left with goodbyes, Luffy hoping she would be his friend. She would just have to reject his requests until he gave up, but judging by the exasperated look Zoro held, he seemed to be relentless. Something she could relate to.

The two spent the first five minutes going over Toni's now revised security plan. Toni would stay up in the afternoons, study, read, whatever she wanted, then at night, Zoro would take over. Or so he agreed to. This made her incredibly nervous, he didn't seem to be listening when she showed him where she kept her log of what was being administered, and what amount. She started a log for Nami too. He also didn't seem to be paying attention to the list of codes she had for Monet and Dalton, and that she wanted the door closed at all times. To let nobody else in but Luffy, Sanji, Dalton, and Monet. If they weren't them and couldn't prove it, she wanted them to stay out. But she wasn't sure Zoro would comply. He was already napping.

That evening, when it was time for the shifts to switch, Monet brought them Chinese and the two had dinner. Then Toni went and used the shower the room had in its bathroom, and tentatively prepared for a night of rest. Zoro had spent the afternoon napping next to or on her lap, so she didn't feel as akward when it was her turn. "You remember what to do right? If anything happens to either of them, I'll strangle you." She warned. He smirked. "I thought you didn't care about Nami." He said. "I don't, I just refuse to let her be taken care of by the wrong people. It would be unfair for you all to face the same sufferings other poor saps have been dealing with. They'll drain you of your money then kill your friend before your very eyes." She said tiredly.

A scowl crossed his face for a moment before becoming stoic once more. "Like hell I'd let anything like that happen to my nakama. I guess you can say you saved her life then Toni." He had learned her name because Monet used it once or twice during her rounds. She made a small smile, a first for her in a while. "I guess, but it still doesn't ease anything."

She decided to sleep away from Zoro on the couch Monet had brought to be used instead of the chairs, and curled up in the blanket she had packed in her bag. She had a duffel and a small blue backpack by the window on Doctorine's side. Judging by the content, she had packed for a few days, but it didn't seem entirely like things one would pack for the hospital. It looked like whatever one could salvage from a home before it burned to the ground. If anyone decided to pay closer attention, she too was being treated for burn wounds. She wasn't a hospital patient, she refused tooth and nail, but she was Dalton's patient.

For the first few rounds, she stayed awake, pretending to sleep to make sure the swordsman was doing everything right. Which to her surprise he seemed to do. As she fell deeper into unconsciousness, she felt a warm hand ruffle her hair ever so gently.

Zoro knew the kid tried to stay up, but kids were kids and she was asleep, he could tell because her breathing was deeper, and she snored lightly due to how she positioned herself. The next time Monet came in, he stuck to her plan, as he intended to do all night, but was shocked when Monet told him what she knew. Toni had been up for days, claiming someone had tried to poison the great Doctor Kureha in her sleep. Monet admitted there were doctors out there who worked for less than acceptable people, but she gave out no names.

It must have been tough for the kid, he realized, as Toni turned in her sleep. To be in constant fear that someone dear to her was constantly threatened. He understood now, her anger, her fire, what had fueled it for almost a week. He decided that he would help her. Nobody should suffer alone, that was something Luffy had taught him years ago when they first met.

In the middle of reliving his memory, a small whimper broke his concentration. He glanced to find Toni covered in sweat as she trembled beneath the covers. Her brows were set, and her whole face screamed in the agony she was facing in her sleep. Like he did Kuina on many nights during his younger years, he scooped up the tiny girl and held her. As if she knew he was there, Toni clung to him, buried her face in his chest, and held there until she began to relax against him. Her expression calmed, and she uncurled her legs. She rested against his chest for the rest of the night, and he didn't mind. In fact, he dozed off a little too, waking to the soft knocks of the nurse, and finally, to the door being barged in by Luffy and Sanji as soon as visiting hours started.


End file.
